Anti-ICE ‘digital Minutemen’ use military-grade surveillance tactics against feds

Early last week, FBI Director Kash Patel announced that the bureau is investigating the use of the encrypted Signal messaging platform by “ICE Watch” activists to track and block federal immigration enforcement.

Just days later, Jill Garvey, co-founder of a group called “States at the Core,” logged into a Zoom webinar to train a new crop of “rapid responders” on a military-grade intelligence gathering method called “SALUTE.” An acronym for Size, Activity, Location, Uniform, Time, Equipment, SALUTE is a mnemonic device that typically instructs soldiers how to systematically track details about enemies. Garvey framed the work as operational surveillance against agents she had called “mercenaries” in an interview days earlier.

“We are all ICE Watch!” declared Garvey, whose group is funded by the Hopewell Fund, a dark-money organization aligned with the Democratic Party. She added a boast that she’s taught 40,000 “rapid responders” this past year.

Garvey is  just one of hundreds of anti-government operatives training agitators to interfere with federal law enforcement. Last Saturday, Manola De Los Santos, co-founder of the People’s Forum – a Marxist-Leninist organization funded by a China-based tech tycoon, Neville Roy Singham, with documented ties to the Chinese Communist Party – hosted an all-day “People’s Assembly for ICE Out of NY!” at the group’s headquarters on W. 37th Street.

“Adopt a corner!” leaders urged, instructing attendees to conduct surveillance tactics at fixed locations.

That same day, at about 4 p.m. ET, a user on one of 37 Signal chats operated by the “Seattle Area Rapid Response” network shared a copy of the “Mini-Manual Of The Urban Guerrilla,” a 67-page Marxist manifesto outlining the use of “mobile units,” “surprise,” “knowledge of the terrain,” “occupation,” “mobility and speed,” a “clandestine press,” “popular support” and “street tactics,” such as “constructing barricades,” “throwing bottles” and ultimately using lethal weapons, to wage a “revolutionary armed struggle” against the United States.

The user directed fellow “rapid responders” to page 35 for “security level questions.” There, the manual advised recording a “daily information service” on “what the enemy appears to be doing, where the police net is operating and what points are being watched.”

A Fox News Digital investigation reveals these groups are part of a nationwide web of at least 200 anti-ICE organizations that are building a civilian intelligence-gathering and “rapid response” system that trains, mobilizes and activates civilians to act as on-the-ground scouts, using the SALUTE method to collect data on federal authorities they cast as the “enemy,” raising serious national security concerns. 

In intelligence circles, they would be called “collectors” in the craft of “human intelligence, or “HUMINT.”

Fox News Digital has established that these national operations feed data about the movements of law enforcement and immigration authorities into at least 13 sophisticated databases, storing highly sensitive information, including license plate numbers, timestamps, geolocation data, uniform details, photographs, behavior patterns and, in at least one case, the names, email addresses and phone numbers of federal authorities. The network operates through at least 18 hubs nationwide in largely Democratic states and cities, coordinating traffic, verification and reporting.

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“This is mind-blowing. We have an entire nation of collectors against our country’s law enforcement. It’s extremely dangerous,” said retired U.S. Army Green Beret Eric Schwalm, who first learned the SALUTE framework as a newly enlisted Army private, later applying it during patrols in Iraq as he fought an insurgency and then in Afghanistan as he trained Northern Alliance fighters to defeat the Taliban government. 

After reviewing the civilian training, operations and databases uncovered by Fox News Digital, he said, “If Iraqi resistance ran this level of operation against us, we couldn’t have stayed past 2007. They didn’t even need to shoot at us. Protests like this would have created a narrative nightmare.”

Indeed, these stakeouts have not only become deadly, with the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, but they have led to many confrontations and most often put federal authorities on the losing end of a narrative war. On Tuesday, a group of “rapid responders” in “Minnesota Ice Watch” tailed ICE agents so closely with their vehicles that agents ordered them — at gunpoint — to stop their cars, before handcuffing and detaining them.

At a recent anti-ICE training webinar, Gabe Gonzalez, a co-founder of “Protect Rogers Park,” a neighborhood anti-ICE group in north Chicago that pioneered the “rapid response” alerts, coaxed the webinar’s attendees to take risks, complimenting them as “courageous.” His group includes SALUTE in its “SOP,” or standing operating procedures, to “protect targeted locations,” like churches and food pantries, and organize “Remote Responders” stationed at “cafes and shops,” “near windows of major throughways” and other “sensitive areas.”

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Raising particular national security concerns, the network includes foot soldiers and leaders of the ANSWER Coalition and the Party for Socialism and Liberation, two professional protest organizations in the Singham network that openly support the People’s Republic of China as an ideal state and declare they seek to dismantle the “hyper-imperialism” of the “American empire” from inside the “belly of the beast.” The organizations didn’t return requests for comment.

Several congressional committees are investigating Singham’s network, which now includes “ICE Out of New York.” That group tells donors online: “Yes, your donation is tax-deductible. We are collecting donations through The People’s Forum which is a 501(c)3 not for profit organization. . . .” As part of its efforts, its leaders created a slick “Migra Whistle Instructional Zine,” with the SALUTE method detailed under the header: “SPREAD INFORMATION, NOT PANIC.”

“FORM A CROWD. STAY LOUD,” the flyer instructed its scouts.

In upstate New York, Rafael Concepcion, a former assistant teaching professor of photography at Syracuse University, told Fox News Digital he plans to launch “a score” of new ICE tracking databases built from a mapping platform he published last year, called “DEICER” for “Diversity Equity Inclusion Community Engagement Reporter.”

Concepcion said he wanted to build a “network of digital minutemen,” the elite hand-picked rapid-deployment force who were part of the New England colonial militia, ready at a “minute’s notice” to scout British Army locations during the American Revolution, often times before skirmishes broke out.

In today’s scenario, U.S. federal authorities are the target. Concepcion said “the use of the SALUTE method” is to differentiate between local police and federal immigration officers. 

“One of the things that our constitution has tried to be able to provide is an avenue for individuals to make sure that they are aware of any kind of tyrannical government,” he said. “If we are supposed to be able to guard against foreign and domestic, there should be a mechanism for us to be able to identify that.

Already, Siembar NC, a 501(c)(4) political nonprofit based in Charlotte, N.C., with $2.5 million in revenue in its last tax filing, has launched the DEICER database in North Carolina on a platform called OjoNC. “Ojo” means “eyes” in Spanish. Further north, LUCE Immigration Justice Network of Massachusetts, a project of Neighbor to Neighbor MA Education Fund, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, has activated Concepcion’s mapping database. In Chicago, he developed “Windbreaker” for local groups to use. The groups didn’t respond to requests for comment.

In a near-identical training last week, Garvey’s session unfolded like a field briefing. She pressed new recruits to assess whether they were observing “a tactical unit,” identify “types of munitions and how much” and determine whether officers were moving in “four, two, four, or six-man formations.” She emphasized the importance of corroboration, instructing participants to “gather more people to confirm what you’re seeing.”

Garvey outlined three defined operational roles — recorder, supporter and monitor — and instructed participants to carry whistles with coded signals. Three blasts indicated an ICE operation in progress. Participants were told to wear the whistles visibly, so others would recognize that they were “part of the team.” Garvey urged them to rehearse at home what to do if stopped by police.

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Unassuming in appearance, with well-coiffed blonde hair and a soft-spoken, timid delivery style, Garvey defended the surveillance during the webinar, saying the targets were “public officials.”

A spokesperson for the Hopewell Fund said in a statement, “States at the Core provides training for people to lawfully and peacefully observe law enforcement in their communities, and Hopewell is proud to be their fiscal sponsor.”

Some of the databases have drawn the attention of a counterforce of independent programmers and technology specialists — including anonymous X users with handles such as @astrarce and @b****uneedsoap — who have attempted to disrupt or shut them down. At least one database has gone offline. Others remain active and continue to grow.

The activities of these surveillance networks potentially violate multiple federal laws. Federal statutes, such as 18 U.S.C. § 115 and 18 U.S.C. § 2261A, protect federal agents from threats and stalking, and violations connected to obstructing, striking or resisting federal agents are felonies. 

In Washington State, the Seattle-area rapid response network has spawned 35 separate Signal chats. In Minnesota, there are at least 20 Signal chats. In Rhode Island, the Alliance to Mobilize Our Resistance sends out alerts over the WhatsApp messaging platform.

From there, the intelligence flows into databases.

Last June, Dominick Skinner, reportedly an Irish immigration activist based in the Netherlands, first published one of the most egregious databases, “ICE List,” documenting the names, photos, addresses, email addresses and phone numbers of ICE and Border Patrol agents, in a bid to hold them “legally accountable.” The list has grown to an estimated 4,500 entries.

He calls the database a new “journalistic” project of “Crust News,” a Substack newsletter that has published articles against the “dictatorship” of “the USA’s fascist regime” and the “terrorism” of its “modern Gestapo.” 

In his “incident” report, Skinner specifically asks for “clear views of agents, uniforms, vehicles or locations.”

Within minutes, Skinner responded to a request for comment but refused to answer any questions, including about his ideological motivation or funding sources, instead railing against the “fascist media sphere in the USA” and noting “your questions will be shared with the public.”

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In Minnesota, the developers of the “MN ICE Plates” database use the language of socialist and communist networks to describe themselves as operating in “occupied Minnesota.” It’s supported by “Defend the  612,” the area code for Minneapolis, and its dispatchers sent “rapid responders,” including local resident Alex Pretti, to the Glam Doll Donut shop on Nicollet Avenue, in the hour before his confrontation with federal officials and killing, according to Fox News Digital reporting.

Over the past week, since the FBI investigation launched into the backend surveillance tactics on federal officials,  the database entries have almost doubled to 5,397 records of “confirmed” and “highly suspected” ICE vehicles and agents, with photos, locations, timestamps, and cross-referenced sightings. The database says it is “documenting & resisting against ICE, police, & all colonial militarized regimes,” inspired by “movements towards liberation.”

The data crisscrosses the nation. This past Sunday, at 7:03 p.m. ET, a user filed a “Critical” report on IceOut.org, a web-based reporting platform run by the Pueblo Project Foundation as part of its “People Over Papers” initiative, documenting “possible ICE activity.” 

Earlier that day, on Arnett Street in Elizabeth, N.J., a user alleged that “3 men took a female. There were 4 different cars,” reporting the incident as “Immigration Enforcement” and uploading photographs of the vehicles and alleged agents. Pueblo Project Foundation didn’t return a request for comment.

The “RESIST” platform, whose developers say their database “flips the script on surveillance,” using “facial recognition and biometric tracking.” 

“Mask or not, they can’t hide anymore,” the platform promises, calling itself “civilian-powered intelligence” that “exposes bad actors” and “empowers direct action, public exposure and psychological disruption.”

Another platform, ICEInMyArea.org, created by anonymous developers who didn’t respond to a request for comment, says it has 4,000 daily visitors with human reviews of new reports, making it “one of the most reliable tools for tracking ICE activity nationwide.” 

But its developers promise users “completely anonymous” privacy.

Under “Recent Reports” over the past 24 hours, it details “ICE sighted in New Britain, CT,” on Corbin Avenue near a McDonald’s, “ice agents using the target parking lot” on Colorado Boulevard in Los Angeles “as a base” and a silver Ford Explorer with “no front plate, whited-out/covered rear plate” on N. Aviation Boulevard in Manhattan Beach, Calif.

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On the East Coast, Ahmad Perez, a former Biden administration political appointee and founder of Islip Forward, launched “Long Island ICE Tracker” to document “individuals and vehicles” in public, with “no reasonable expectation of privacy.” He “strictly prohibited” the use of the information to “harass, threaten, intimidate, stalk, doxx or interfere” with “any person” or their “lawful activities.”

Thursday on the site, Perez bragged “574 Verified Sightings” in the database, with a new listing at 1 p.m. of a weathered black Ford vehicle on Nottingham Avenue in Patchogue, N.Y., a decal saying “POLICE INTERCEPTOR” on the rear back door.

“Attempts to label community transparency efforts as ‘illegal’ or ‘surveillance’ often reflect discomfort with accountability rather than genuine concern for ethics or safety,” Perez told Fox News Digital. “Oversight, documentation and public awareness are not threats to democracy — they are foundational to it.”

Online tools even generate QR-codes for SALUTE templates that standardize civilian intelligence collection nationwide. 

In Minnesota, the Workers Defense Alliance of Twin Cities, a socialist group whose website features a graphic of Minneapolis police’s Third Precinct on fire, teaches SALUTE and a Spanish alternative, “ALERTA,” for “Activity, Location, Equipment, Response requested, Time and date, Appearance.” It pitches the framework as “community defense” while explicitly teaching structured surveillance. Its leaders didn’t return a request for comment.

“ICE Watch RI” and Alerta de Migra operate in Rhode Island with the Party for Socialism and Liberation, combining protest mobilization with logged sightings of federal officers.

The creator of another database — “Deportation Tracker” — said he puts in place “strict policies and moderation” so that any content that violates anyone’s privacy is “rejected immediately.” Identifying himself as Sam Fletcher, a high school student, he said, “The platform does not represent any civilian intelligence and surveillance operation. Everything that is submitted must go through a human review before being posted to the site. We don’t allow any names, images or licence plates allowed on the site. Nothing that is personally identifiable to anyone.”

“Any doxxing, harassing or stalking is unacceptable,” he said.

Still, critics say, the database has the information for users to violate Fletcher’s “terms of service.”

Meanwhile, in Portland, “Anti-Facist Aktion” hosts a “PDX ICE/DHS License Plates Community Surveillance Database,” claiming to host 627 records. Its developers couldn’t be reached for comment. It notes: “WARNING: THIS INFORMATION IS DANGEROUS TO AUTHORITY.”

Garvey, the blonde anti-ICE mom whose group leads new trainings every several days. In an interview with Wajahat Ali, the host of a podcast called the “The Left Hook,” Ali lauded Garvey’s strategy: “Your camera is your weapon.”

Overnight, local residents in the Seattle Signal chats got alerts that they would have their first “Seattle rapid response drill” on Sunday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. local time.

The announcement will “follow the standard SALUTE format” to instruct responders where to go.

The alert warned: “don’t be running red lights to get there first, don’t be blowing whistles once you arrive.”

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Leavitt turns the tables on media outrage as FBI seizes Fulton election documents

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt hit back at media outlets questioning the FBI’s seizure of ballots and other documents related to the 2020 election in Fulton County, Georgia, after years of the media claiming that Russia influenced the 2016 election.  

The FBI executed a search warrant in the Georgia county home to Atlanta in January, which included Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard deploying on the ground to carry out an election security assessment. Gabbard’s presence has sparked outrage and questions from Democrats and the media over what they characterize as an unusual, politicized show of force.

“As the director of national intelligence, it is a part of Miss Gabbard’s role to make sure that American elections are free of foreign interference and that American elections are safe and secure,” Leavitt said of Gabbard’s presence in Fulton County. “And so the ODNI director is working with the FBI on this effort, and the president wholeheartedly supports both Kash Patel and Tulsi Gabbard in ensuring that American elections are safe, secure, and free of foreign intervention.”

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The reporter pushed back, “Is there any indication that there’s foreign influence?”

Leavitt began taking another question before circling back to remind the reporter of the media’s focus on claims Russia influenced the 2016 presidential election, when President Donald Trump ran against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. 

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“Excuse me one second. It’s the media who has said that there’s Russian interference in American elections. You guys have been saying that for many, many years,” Leavitt shot back. 

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“The people in this room, considering that you all, you all said for many years that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump, you should all be very happy that we finally have an administration that is looking into that, and we’ll be happy to keep you posted,” she continued. 

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Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into claims Trump’s 2016 campaign colluded with Russia to secure the election wrapped up in March 2019, determining there was no evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Arctic blast exposes alleged $8B electric bus boondoggle as Vermont buses sit useless

EXCLUSIVE: The Arctic blast that snowed in much of the East exposed not only the need for road salt but the possibility that untold taxpayer dollars were wasted on risky electric bus subsidy programs under the Biden administration, according to critics of those initiatives.

That’s the claim from Power the Future, a top energy advocacy and watchdog group that also compared the disbursement of more than $8 billion over at least two related federal subsidy programs to oversight failures by the Minnesota government involving its Medicaid and childcare entitlement crises recently exposed.

E-buses have been purchased by transit agencies in part through a “Low-No” emissions grant program mainly through the Federal Transit Administration that received a $1.6 billion infusion during the Biden years.

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“Given the scale of this investment, there must be an examination into whether taxpayers are receiving the reliable, deployable transit assets capable of serving the communities for which they were funded,” Power the Future (PTF) President Daniel Turner said.

Similarly, PTF highlighted a 2024 EPA Inspector General audit that found the agency failed to meaningfully track the deployment of electric school buses under a 2022 rebate program through which $836 million was handed out by federal officials.

Only about 7% of participating school districts had completed the processes needed to put the buses into service, such as installing charging infrastructure.

“When hundreds of millions of dollars are awarded without confirmation that buses are delivered, operable or in service, the absence of oversight echoes the failures that are being highlighted in Minnesota,” PTF wrote.

PTF said the Biden administration’s “broader record” on “green infrastructure” spending is further exposed by these and other disbursements and requires Zeldin’s immediate attention.I

It cited an additional $7.5 billion spent on the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program, under which fewer than 400 charging ports were built as of late.

“When this failure is viewed alongside electric buses that cannot operate in cold weather, school buses that sit idle and grants producing little to no functional infrastructure, a troubling pattern emerges,” PTF said.

“Taken together, these outcomes raise the same red flags now familiar from the Minnesota daycare fraud scandal: large federal payouts with minimal verification, poor oversight and taxpayers left holding the bill.”

An EPA Inspector General statement from October regarding the school bus program said “three material weaknesses so significant that they could lead to material misstatements in the Agency’s financial statements” were found.

“The EPA did not monitor bus deployment status and recipient use of over $836 million of 2022 Clean School Bus, or CSB, Program rebates, despite the Agency stating it would do so,” another OIG report from 2024 said.

“At a minimum, these programs warrant immediate scrutiny to determine whether incompetence alone explains the results or whether fraud and misrepresentation are also at play,” PTF wrote.

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As a test case, Turner pointed to buses purchased by Vermont’s Green Mountain Transit, which had previously procured five electric buses with the help of federal funds.

During the recent storm, Turner said, e-buses have a tougher time charging and operating in below-freezing temperatures, as evidenced by cases in New York and New England. This is a known limitation of battery performance in cold weather.

School districts in Western New York have had issues piloting the buses in the cold, and Turner told Fox News Digital the grants do not take into account the needs of schoolchildren over prioritizing green politics.

PTF also cited a case in Maine, where a school superintendent said her district received four “bad buses” from a now-bankrupt Canadian EV firm. One e-bus’s brakes failed recently and crashed into a snowbank, according to WGME.

“Costing nearly $8 million, more than 95 percent of the funding for these five buses came from American taxpayers [and] requires serious questions be asked,” PTF wrote to Zeldin.

“These buses were purchased to operate in Vermont’s climate, yet reports indicate they cannot be reliably charged in temperatures below 41 degrees. With the average winter temperature in Burlington hovering in the mid 20s, the vehicles, which cost more than $1.5 million apiece, are unusable under predictable winter conditions.”

Green Mountain Transit General Manager Clayton Clark told Fox News Digital that his five e-buses “being inoperable have nothing to do with the storm. The batteries were recalled by the manufacturer,” adding local media erroneously reported the snow had been the main factor.

He also said that media reports had incorrectly stated the 41-degree issue always existed, quipping, “We never would have purchased buses with that [requirement] in Vermont” and that the threshold originated from new recall information from the manufacturer.

“We know that the manufacturer will be 18–24 months [until we get] new batteries. We look at this as the buses were working A-OK before this situation. Considering the 12-year life cycle to be out for a few months is not indicative of the program being a failure. This is no different than a safety recall that we would get for a diesel bus.

“Folks across the political spectrum (are) looking to make hay, [but we] don’t look at it as a failure of the program.”

Asked about Clark’s comments, Turner said that cold-weather agencies should have known they were using experimental technology not as proven as internal-combustion buses.

“At no point does anyone who has a gas-powered bus have to play these games, introducing new sets of variables. We are still sacrificing the children for a pretend cause.”

Turner told Fox News Digital that while “these [green] games are ongoing, there are schoolchildren who cannot get to class because they are fixing problems that they themselves created.”

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Fox News Digital reached out to Biden’s office for comment.

EPA spokesman Michael Bastasch told Fox News Digital the EPA is actively “revamping the Clean School Bus Program in accordance with President Trump’s executive order: Unleashing American Energy to ensure hard-earned American tax dollars are being put to the best use possible and not frivolously wasted as was often the case under the previous administration.”

“Under Administrator Zeldin’s leadership, EPA is committed to being exceptional stewards of taxpayer dollars and delivering measured results for American families, while still fulfilling Congressional intent,” Bastasch said, adding that Zeldin has already canceled $30 billion in wasteful grants and contracts.

White House reveals Trump’s choice for Super Bowl halftime show amid Bad Bunny concerns

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt revealed which Super Bowl halftime show President Donald Trump prefers to watch this Sunday. 

Grammy Award winner Bad Bunny will be performing during the official Super Bowl halftime show in Santa Clara, California, for Sunday’s game. 

However, concern among conservatives over Bad Bunny’s apparent “woke” values inspired Turning Point USA (TPUSA) to plan its own “All-American” halftime for Sunday headlined by country/rock artist Kid Rock. 

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Leavitt suggested Trump would be tuning in to watch the TPUSA show. 

“I think the president would much prefer a Kid Rock performance over Bad Bunny. I must say that,” Leavitt told reporters at Thursday’s White House press briefing.

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Leavitt also said the president is not picking a team to win Sunday’s game between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks. But she revealed her rooting interest. 

“The president has wisely chosen not to make a prediction on Sunday night’s game, but as a native girl from New Hampshire, go Patriots,” Leavitt added. 

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell addressed questions about Bad Bunny possibly making a political statement during the Super Bowl halftime show during a news conference Monday.

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“Listen, Bad Bunny is, and I think that was demonstrated last night, one of the great artists in the world, and that’s one of the reasons we chose him,” Goodell said. “But the other reason is he understood the platform he was on, and this platform is used to unite people and to be able to bring people together with their creativity, with their talents and to be able to use this moment to do that. And I think artists in the past have done that.

“I think Bad Bunny understands that, and I think he’ll have a great performance.”

Disgraced royal flees 30-room mansion as Epstein photo fallout intensifies: experts

King Charles III’s disgraced brother was kicked out sooner than expected.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor vacated his 30-room mansion Monday night and is now staying at Wood Farm, a temporary home on the Sandringham estate, the BBC reported. The former prince is expected to move to Marsh Farm, another residence on the same property that is currently undergoing renovations.

Buckingham Palace told the outlet that the former Duke of York was expected to move in “early 2026.” However, reports suggest his departure was expedited following the latest release of Jeffrey Epstein-related files, which included photos of the 65-year-old on all fours over an unidentified woman lying on her back. The woman is fully clothed in all three photos, and her face has been obscured.

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“Prince William has long wanted Andrew as far away from Windsor as absolutely possible,” British royals expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital.

“Andrew’s original departure was scheduled to be around Easter, but it was instead brought forward in the dead of night. The ousting is further confirmation of Andrew’s diminished status as a ‘persona non grata.’ There is no coming back for him.”

There is mounting pressure for the fallen prince to give evidence to the U.S. over his relationship with the late convicted sex offender. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has also called on Andrew to testify before Congress.

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“It is no surprise that Andrew has departed in darkness,” British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital.

“His former home, Royal Lodge, is in public view, and timing is critical. King Charles is aware it is highly unlikely the media frenzy will subside, and Andrew could be facing a police investigation. Temporarily, staying at Wood Farm allows scrutiny of Andrew to play out behind closed doors, away from prying eyes.”

“King Charles is exasperated with the fallout,” Chard claimed. “He’s putting on a brave face.”

Andrew appears in three newly released photos from the latest batch of files made public by the Department of Justice in connection with the investigation into Epstein, who died in custody in 2019.

Inclusion in the files does not necessarily imply wrongdoing.

Two of the photos, released Jan. 30, show Andrew crouched on the ground with his hand resting on the woman’s stomach as he looks down at her. A third shows him on his knees with his hands on either side of her body while looking directly at the camera.

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Additional context, including where and when the photos were taken, was not provided by the Department of Justice. The newly released files also include email exchanges between Epstein and a contact listed as “The Duke,” which is believed to refer to Andrew.

People magazine reported that Thames Valley Police is assessing claims related to events said to have taken place at Royal Lodge in 2010.

“We are aware of reports about a woman said to have been taken to an address in Windsor in 2010 for sexual purposes,” Thames Valley Police told the outlet in a statement. “We are assessing the information in line with our established procedures.”

“We take any reports of sexual crimes extremely seriously and encourage anyone with information to come forward. At this time, these allegations have not been reported to Thames Valley Police by either the lawyer or their client.”

A lawyer told the BBC on Jan. 31 that his client was allegedly sent to the U.K. by Epstein in 2010 to have sex with Andrew at Royal Lodge when she was in her 20s. The lawyer also claimed his client was later given a tour of Buckingham Palace. She is the first woman to publicly allege an encounter with the late queen’s son at a royal residence, People reported.

The lawyer, Brad Edwards, also represented Virginia Giuffre, an American woman who accused Andrew of sexual abuse when she was 17. Giuffre, one of Epstein’s most prominent accusers, filed a civil lawsuit alleging she was forced to have sex with the disgraced duke three times. The case was settled out of court in 2022, with Andrew admitting no wrongdoing.

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The 41-year-old died in 2025. Her posthumous memoir, published in October, reiterated her claims.

“Andrew allegedly had women meeting him at Buckingham Palace regularly,” royal expert Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News Digital.

“They were allegedly waved through without checks on Andrew’s order. So, a woman possibly meeting him at Royal Lodge could have potentially been addressed in the same way. According to my sources, there were also regular events promoting businesses at Royal Lodge, so it’s going to be very complicated for the police to differentiate the comings and goings.”

There are also newly uncovered emails that include correspondence from Epstein’s confidante, Ghislaine Maxwell. In them, she appeared to discuss the existence of the infamous photograph showing Andrew with his arm around Giuffre in London.

“In 2001, I was in London when [redacted] met several friends of mine, including Prince Andrew,” read a 2015 statement that appeared to be from Maxwell, the BBC reported.

“A photograph was taken as I imagine she wanted to show it to friends and family,” read the email, which was signed by “G Maxwell.” 

According to the outlet, Maxwell said she was not aware of “anything improper” happening at her home.

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The outlet reported that the email appears in Epstein’s estate files as a draft statement. Both Andrew and Maxwell said they believed the photo was fake.

Giuffre’s brother, Sky Roberts, told the BBC’s “Newsnight” on Feb. 4, “This is a very vindicating moment for Virginia.”

“It truly does vindicate Virginia,” he said. “She was not lying this entire time.”

Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams said Andrew has no standing within the royal family, and that is not expected to change.

“He has indeed left Royal Lodge, but his body language when out riding and driving still attracts attention,” Fitzwilliams explained. “His departure, which the king could not legally force, was nonetheless the result of public, press and parliamentary outrage as more compromising material involving his links with Epstein had surfaced.”

Andrew announced in October that he was giving up his royal titles, and the palace confirmed later that month that the king had “initiated a formal process to remove the style, titles and honours of Prince Andrew.”

KING CHARLES KICKED ANDREW OUT BUT CAN’T REMOVE DISGRACED EX-ROYAL FROM LINE OF SUCCESSION: EXPERTS

The decision followed Andrew’s initial step back from public life in 2019 after his BBC interview, in which he discussed his relationship with Epstein.

Sarah Ferguson, Andrew’s former wife, has also moved out of Royal Lodge. The former Duchess of York, who divorced Andrew in 1996, had continued living with him at the property. She was also mentioned in the latest Epstein files release, but has not been accused of any wrongdoing.

Nearly 40% of cancers can be prevented with 3 lifestyle changes, study finds

Nearly half of cancers could be avoided by cutting out three major risk factors, a new study has revealed.

Research published this week in Nature Medicine identified that nearly 40% of global cancer cases are linked to tobacco (15% of new cases), infections (10%) and alcohol consumption (3%).

Overall, 7.1 million cancer diagnoses in 2022 were linked to 30 modifiable risk factors, according to the study.

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“The key here is that almost half of all cancers could be prevented by behavioral changes,” Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News Digital senior medical analyst, told Fox News Digital.

Conducted by the World Health Organization and its International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the study analyzed global cancer data across 185 countries, matching it with exposure data for the 30 risk factors.

Lung, stomach and cervical cancers accounted for nearly half of the cases that were linked to modifiable risks, with many linked to viruses and bacteria like the human papillomavirus (HPV), hepatitis B and C, and Helicobacter pylori (a common bacterium that infects the stomach lining).

“Preventable cancers of the cervix and throat are directly linked to the HPV virus and can be prevented by the HPV vaccine,” added Siegel, who was not involved in the study.

DEADLY CANCER RISK SPIKES WITH CERTAIN LEVEL OF ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION, STUDY FINDS

Lung cancer, throat and GI cancers, and several others were linked to cigarette smoking, and alcohol was associated with breast, liver, colon and throat cancer, the doctor noted.

“Environmental factors are also key, varying by geography — 45% of new cancers could be prevented in men, and 30% in women,” he said.

Study author Hanna Fink, from the Cancer Surveillance Branch at IARC/WHO, said the main message is that many cancers can be prevented.

“Almost four in 10 new cancer cases worldwide, which represent 7.1 million lives that don’t need to be changed by a cancer diagnosis, were linked to things we can change or modify through awareness and public-health action,” she told Fox News Digital.

COMMON VITAMIN BYPRODUCT MAY HELP CANCER EVADE IMMUNE SYSTEM, STUDY FINDS

“These things include tobacco smoking, infections, alcohol consumption, excess body weight, air pollution, ultraviolet radiation and others.”

Looking ahead, the researchers recommend that stronger prevention strategies targeting tobacco use, infections, unhealthy body weight and alcohol use could substantially reduce global cancer cases.

“The key here is that almost half of all cancers could be prevented by behavioral changes.”

“The study reinforces that cancer prevention works, and action is most effective at the population level,” Fink said. 

“Governments and communities play a crucial role by making healthy choices easier, for example, through higher tobacco and alcohol taxes, smoke-free policies, clear health warnings, safer workplaces, cleaner air, and affordable access to vaccination and screening. Individuals can support these by advocating for healthier environments and using available preventive services.”

Reducing the risk

The AIRC offers the following recommendations to minimize cancer risk.

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• Do not smoke, and if you do smoke, seek help to quit.
• Keep alcohol intake as low as possible, as “there is no safe level of alcohol for cancer risk.”
• Aim for a healthy body weight over time with a balanced diet and regular physical activity.
• Move more and sit less, as even small amounts of daily movement help.
• Take advantage of vaccines, especially the HPV vaccination for young people and the hepatitis B vaccination.

“As a family physician, I try to help my patients understand how important their daily habits are in lowering their future cancer risk,” said Dr. Chris Scuderi, a cancer survivor and Florida-based family physician.

The doctor’s key prevention targets include daily exercise, consistent and restorative sleep, a Mediterranean-style diet, regular doctor’s visits and sufficient rest.

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“Small daily wins add up to make a powerful difference over time,” added Scuderi, who also was not involved in the research. “It’s also essential to stay on top of your routine screenings, which your family physician can help you with.”

Potential limitations

The study did have some limitations. The researchers often used data from around 2012 due to the long delay between exposure and cancer, which means the data may not reflect the most recent behaviors or environments.

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“This is a necessary simplification, because in reality, latency can be longer or shorter depending on the cancer and the exposure,” Fink noted.

Siegel pointed out that cancer types vary by geographic region — for example, stomach cancer is more prominent in Asia — and the relationships between risk factors and cancer prevalence can differ between countries, populations and time periods.

“We rely on the best available data on how common each risk factor is in different countries and how strongly it is linked to cancer, but these data are not perfect and are weaker in some low- and middle-income countries,” Fink said.

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Finally, the study only looked at 30 risk factors with the strongest evidence and global data.

“Our estimate of ‘almost 40% of cancers are preventable’ is very likely conservative,” the researcher added. “Some other suspected causes, such as certain aspects of diet, could not be included because the science or the data are not yet robust enough at a global level.” 

Multiple dead, several injured after vehicle crashes into Los Angeles grocery store

At least three people are dead and several others injured after a car crashed Thursday into a grocery store in the Westwood area of Los Angeles, authorities said.

The crash was reported around 12:11 p.m. local time along Westwood Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD).

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Officials confirmed that three people died at the scene.

At a news briefing, a LAFD spokesperson confirmed that nine people were involved in the incident, prompting calls for additional ambulances and emergency resources.

“This is becoming more of a static incident, and it’s being investigated so far as an accidental traffic collision,” the spokesperson said.

FOUR DEAD, AT LEAST 13 INJURED AFTER SPEEDING CAR CRASHES INTO CROWD OUTSIDE FLORIDA BAR

“It appears the driver, the elderly driver, was trying to swerve out of the way of a bicyclist and all we know is that that elderly driver in that single vehicle did strike a bicyclist,” he added. “What we do know again is a total of nine patients, three that tragically were deceased, two that are in serious, at least serious condition, two in moderate condition, and two that declined transport.”

The spokesperson later confirmed that people were trapped underneath the vehicle.

DRIVER OF U-HAUL TRUCK THAT ENTERED IRAN PROTEST CROWD SPEAKS OUT: ‘ALL I WANT IS PEACE’

“Firefighters, again, are problem solvers, and they came in and were able to remove that vehicle to gain access to those patients,” he said. “We called for waves of additional firefighter paramedics who rendered immediate medical aid.”

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The cause of the crash remains under investigation, but a silver-colored sedan could be seen inside the front of the store.

Budget airline floods US with new routes in move on low fares as consumers cautioned

Utah-based budget airline Breeze Airways, which calls itself “Seriously Nice,” has announced it will be expanding its low-cost travel routes in the U.S.

The low-cost airline said it’s added new routes from Raleigh-Durham, Hartford, Columbus, Atlantic City, Charleston, Memphis, Louisville, Los Angeles, Madison, Pittsburgh and Greenville-Spartanburg.

“Breeze’s convenient, direct service to underserved destinations continues to resonate with travelers, and we’re eager to introduce Brownsville and Atlantic City to our unique, elevated product offering,” said David Neeleman, Breeze Airways’ founder and CEO, in a press release.

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The airline also added four new routes in the state of Florida, including Fort Lauderdale, Tampa and Orlando.

The company said it will also be returning its flight service to San Antonio, Texas, after a four-year hiatus.

The brand is “excited to welcome new and returning guests in historic San Antonio after four years away,” Neeleman said.

The airline also added Nassau, Bahamas, to its list — making that popular vacation spot its fourth international destination.

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The CEO said the company was adding that location “as we prepare to kick off an exciting season of summer travel.”

The news comes just after the latest Travel Inflation Report from Nerd Wallet — which said last month that while flight prices have been down over the past decade, they still feel high to many people. 

In its report, Nerd Wallet, the personal finance website, pointed to “unbundling,” which is when “airlines advertise lower fares, often in the form of basic economy seats that offer few frills.”

The report added, “Those low base fares typically come with upcharges in the form of ancillary fees to check bags, to guarantee an aisle seat or to secure early boarding.”

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The site advised consumers to watch for airline consolidation that can create less competition on routes — giving airlines more power to charge higher fees. 

While flight prices have been down over the past decade, they still feel high to many people. 

Breeze Airways, meanwhile, also offers service to Mexico, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic.

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Breeze began service in May 2021 with a fleet of Airbus A220-300 and Embraer 190 aircraft, according to the airline’s site.

In Texas, Brownsville city leaders expressed “excitement” about the company’s new route to Orlando — the 84th destination to be added to the airline’s roster, My San Antonio reported. 

“Breeze’s route from Brownsville to Orlando will begin operating on May 15, with tickets already on sale,” the outlet noted. 

“The nonstop route will fly Mondays and Fridays, with tickets starting as low as $79 one way,” if they were purchased as part of a “No Flex Fare” promotion which concluded on Feb. 3.  

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Overall, the average domestic round-trip price for the first quarter of 2025 was $397, which was down about 1.2% from the fourth quarter of 2024, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics in July 2025. 

In January of this year alone, nearly 66 million passengers went through TSA checkpoints, according to TSA data.

Vandals destroy Virgin Mary statue, sacred tabernacle in Catholic school attack

A faculty member is opening up after his California Catholic school was ransacked over the weekend, calling the break-in “more than material” for the religious community.

The Justice Department has announced an investigation into the vandalism at Holy Innocents Catholic School in Long Beach, California. Tony Tripp, the school’s director of advancement, described the damage as extensive and said the vandals ransacked nearly every room.

“They pretty much went through the whole place — didn’t matter where it was throughout there — and ransacked whatever they could,” Tripp said Thursday on “Fox & Friends First.”

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Video shows classrooms torn apart, broken furniture and a large Virgin Mary statue destroyed. The parish’s tabernacle, a sacred object to Catholics, was also damaged.

LEADERS OF DESECRATED CATHOLIC SCHOOL URGE PRAYER FOR PERPETRATORS AFTER MARY STATUE, TABERNACLE DESTROYED

The damage from the break-in is estimated at $100,000, Fox 11 reported. But Tripp said the value of many of the objects goes beyond material loss and that the damage was sacrilegious.

“This is a center of our faith, especially the tabernacle; that’s the biggest thing for us,” Tripp said, adding that the vandals were trying to break the religious object open.

Tripp said the school is calling on those responsible to turn themselves in. He speculated that multiple people may be involved and that the motive could be robbery or anti-religious.

“Not sure what the motivation was, but I do know that we want them to obviously make reparation and change what they’ve done,” said Tripp.

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He noted that, despite the pain over the damage, the Catholic community has shown the school support, adding, “We’ve never expected anything like this.”

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“It’s given us tremendous hope, you know, that people still have faith and believe in God and are willing to stand up for their faith.”

Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon posted about the situation on X, writing that the agency will be opening up an investigation into the “awful crime.”